US President Barack Obama announced on Monday that he will nominate Ernest Moniz and Gina McCarthy to fill vacancies at the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, respectively.
Obama nominated Ernest Moniz to US Department of Energy Secretary (Photo: Justin Knight/MIT)McCarthy currently serves as assistant administrator for the EPA’s office of air and radiation. She previously served as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
The Houston Chronicle reports that environmentalists have already thrown their support behind McCarthy’s cabinet nomination, quickly launching the website, StandwithGina.com.
Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp praised McCarthy’s record.
"As head of EPA’s national air office, Ms. McCarthy led the development of historic national emission standards for the mercury discharged from power plants, and helped forge new greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles," he said. "She is well known for listening and responding to the concerns of both environmental advocates and industry stakeholders, and for pursuing a regulatory approach that is flexible, reasonable and cost-effective."
The Sierra Club similarly welcomed McCarthy’s nomination.
"As head of the EPA’s clean air division, Assistant Administrator McCarthy forged bipartisan coalitions to finalize strong clean air safeguards and historic fuel efficiency standards, and as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, she led the state’s "No Child Left Inside" campaign,” Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said.
API president Jack Gerard issued a statement congratulating McCarthy on her nomination.
“We hope McCarthy shares the president’s stated vision for an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy and will support only sound EPA regulations that reduce potential adverse impacts on employment and energy costs while protecting the environment,” he said on Monday.
Moniz is director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and is a professor of physics and engineering systems at the school, where he has taught since 1973.
“We have been fortunate that Professor Moniz has put his enthusiasm, deep understanding of energy, and commitment to a clean energy future to work for MIT and the Energy Initiative — and we are certain he will do the same for the American people,” said MIT president L. Rafael Reif.
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